There numerous histories and origins attributed to Boxing Day, so it’s only proper that we add to tradition from a sales point of view.

While I normally encourage sales professionals to think out of the box, in this post I will suggest you take some specific things and put them in a box so you can store them and get them out of your way to being more productive in the coming year.

While it is true that sale cycles tend to transcend numbers on a calendar page, people do have a habit of marking time, change and commitment to specific dates, especially the new year. A time when we make it a goal to do, stop doing and other resolutions that we hope will make the new year better than the one that just passed; although on reflection 2012 was pretty good.

But in order to make room for new habits, we must first discard some old habits, habits that have kept us from realizing full potential. These will differ for most of us, but the process of deciding – or avoiding – what needs to go in the Box, to make room for the new is not that different. Take a look at your performance for the year, did you get to you desired results? Here I don’t just mean did you hit quota, but your own personal targets, as they relate to you as a sales person, not those in your personal life. Did you develop that skill you committed to hone 12 months ago; did you stop doing things that were detrimental to your success.

One way to maximize this effort is to look at your sales in 2012, all that you started, look at the ones you won, lost or that ended with no definitive decision. Take a look and see if there are any elements that are common to each of the three, or some that are common to two or all three. For example are there actions that you failed to take in both losses and those sales without outcome, clearly something worth changing. There could be things you were doing that are sabotaging your success, if so, clearly something worth putting in the Box. As an example one thing I need to improve right across the board is generating more referrals, even from prospects who chose to go with something other than Renbor program.

As discussed in the past, wholesale change is not a realistic goal, but neither is marshaling on without an honest look at what can improve; just pick one thing and take the step to change it. Now is a good time for sales people put the old in a Box, and make room for new things outside the box.

About us

Tibor Shanto is a 25-year veteran of B2B sales, Tibor has developed an insider’s hands on perspective of successful sales execution. Called a brilliant sales tactician Tibor shows organizations and sales professionals how to leverage their sales process to shorten sales cycles, increase close ratios, and create double digit growth through execution and using the right combination strategy, tools, metrics, tactical execution of the sales process.